The F A Q section of this site will hopefully be completed soon.

There is a large back log on frequently asked questions for this page.   The most repeated question is about the value of audio and multi-media education providers.

Can you please advise the best way to obtain an education in audio engineering ?

The majority of people in the audio industry are self taught.   Musicians with technical skills can become producers or engineers.   Many with electronic engineering backgrounds can become technical designers in lighting and sound systems.   Some architects specialise in auditorium and studio design.   A Sound Engineer is a person who uses mixers and effects including software to mix sound for live bands, recordings and events.   The term sound-engineer can also refer to a (Rodie) large person with a pony tail and a large set keys attached to his jeans who sets up equipment for bands and also acts as a bouncer and nurse-maid for the band.

The subjects on this site are described as Electro Acoustic Engineering.   Formal education in this field has yet to evolve and negotiations are underway with various universities.

First we must separate the different types of education providers.   The professional short workshops on particular applications; eg rigging of line arrays for live concerts, or Foley techniques for film production, or software applications including Pro Tools and many more.   These workshops are often delivered by skilled people within the industry and the information can be of great value.

Next are the providers of certificate diploma courses approx +$10,000 pa marketed to school leavers.   These courses are often advertised as accredited with universities.   University faculties of medicine and engineering are aimed at a high standard, but external associated courses of multimedia and entertainment may be for profit making only, providing minimal resources, taught by inexperienced tutors with little or no supervision.   Sometimes the teachers can be the previous years students.   The quality of education may be the result of the random outcome of skill and integrity of a low paid lecturer.   There are always exceptions.

The open criticism of many of these courses is they are regarded as being infantile, often playing with computer packages and promoting the hype of model numbers and brand names with superficial understanding of acoustics, mixing and hardware function.   Many large film TV and recording studios do not recognise these course providers and some companies outwardly state they will not employ people who have attended these courses, as in their view it may be too difficult to retrain them.   However there are exceptions and it is essential to check any education provider as having acceptance with potential employers.